Club Notes.. - 2020-04-30 13:30:00
Fields Still Quiet.
We have at least another two weeks to go before there may be some little relaxation of the regulations brought in by the Government to try and combat the Covid 19 Virus. It's hard going but as a parish community and as a country we must stick with it. We have been blessed with beautiful weather over the last few weeks. At least the sun shone and people are able to get out - though confined to just 2K of our homes. This is a terrible pandemic and it's in all our hands to help defeat it. Normally in these notes the week of a big Championship game at the weekend -as this coming Saturday should have been, I'd end with the phrase 'Go for it lads' -well we can still echo that sentiment. It's not easy, no one has ever, ever encountered what we are now living through. A few years back we had the Foot and Mouth Outbreak, we've had Hurricanes, floods, bad snows and storms but nothing like this. We must stick together at present for the good of the community. The GAA has been an integral and vibrant part of life in so many parishes, villages, towns and cities since it's foundation in 1884. How we miss the sound of ash on leather or the high fielding in Gaelic football! Whilst the present restrictions are to reviewed in the first week of May I'd realistically say the chance of any serious sporting activity before the end of June is indeed very slight. The 'remote' GAA Congress last Friday did as expected by giving extraordinary powers to the Management Committee to make decisions re fixtures as the situation unfolds in regards to ' Mass Gatherings'.
The Bride Rovers Club is ready and willing to be of assistance to any of our parishioners especially those over 70 who are cocooning at home at present. If we can help you in any way please contact 087 2070100 or 086 7710766. Ni neart go cur le chéile.
Bride Rovers v Ballymartle.
We thought all the cows in the parish would be milked early next Saturday evening April the 25th as we'd be heading for Pairc Ui Rinn to take on Ballymartle in our first game in the 'Round Robin' Group of the 2020 Cork Senior A Hurling Championship. We should have had a close up view of the other two teams in the Group last Saturday as Kilworth were billed to play Fr O Neills in Pairc na Bride in Rathcormac at 4 o clock It's anybody's guess now as to what will happen. If Club Championships go ahead in Cork later this year a straight knock out or maybe with a 'second chance' may well be on offer.
It was on Saturday June 29th 2002 that we last played Ballymartle in the Championship in Pairc Ui Rinn. We had defeated Youghal in the first round of the Intermediate Championship in early May in Lisgoold. It was only our fourth year in the IHC. When we trailed Youghal by 1 4 to 01 after 14 minutes it looked like 'Goodnight Irene' for us but we fought back. A long free from Barry Hazlewood went all the ways to the net. A second goal scored by Jerome O Driscoll put us 2 4 to 1 5 ahead at the break. We won by 2 10 to 1 9. It was a full two months before we met Ballymartle in Round 3. Level at 7 points apiece after 20 minutes we had three white flags from Terry, Barry Johnson and Mike Hogan to go up three points 0 10 to 0 7 at the break. Another point from Terry gave us a four point lead and we were looking good. Ger Cummins led the Ballymartle comeback. The sides were level at 0 11 each when Cummins goaled. With three minutes left Declan McCarthy made a brilliant save from Terry and Ballymartle went on to win by 1 16 to 0 13 despite having a man sent off. Our line-out was D. Fitzgerald, B. Walsh, N. Fitzgerald, P. Barry, J. Murphy, Barry Murphy, B. Murphy, D.Ryan, P. Murphy, B. Hazlewood, M.Hogan, T. Broderick, R. Cahill, S. Ryan, J. O Driscoll., B. Johnson, A Collins. It was a bitter disappointment to lose the game but just twelve months later we went on to win the County Intermediate Title
Sympathy.
The Bride Rovers Club extends deepest sympathy to Betty Boyce and family on the death of Betty's mother Nonie Kenneally of Ballinamodock, Araglen.
Bride Rovers Club Gear.
We might not be playing games at present but it's still important to wear the Green, White and Gold of the Club whenever possible. We have negotiated to have a full range of our Club Gear available to purchase from O Neills Sportswear. At present all sizes of jersies, t-shirts, shorts, jackets, polo shirts and tracksuits are in stock at reasonable prices. Go to Oneills.ie and then search in the list of club names for 'Bride Rovers' and you'll see the full range.
Parish Newsletter.
The Parish Newsletter can be emailed to anyone in the Parish who would like to get a copy. Each Saturday the latest edition will be sent out. If you wish to get a copy just forward your email address to rathcormacpp@gmail.com Until further notice Fr Joe O Keeffe will celebrate mass each Sunday at 10.30. The Mass will be live-streamed on the Parish Facebook page and U Tube channel.
1930 and 1932 East Cork Champions.
The Bride Rovers Club was formed at a meeting in the Bartlemy Band-room in the autumn of 1928. Over the years 1929, '30, '31 and '32 the Rovers lost just two championship games in Junior Hurling in East Cork. They contested three in a row of Junior Hurling Finals winning in 1930 and again in 1932 and losing the 1931 Final.The Championship games played over those years were as follows;
1929;
April 28th at Midleton Youghal 3 0 Bride Rovers 1 5.
1930
June 8th at Bartlemy Bride Rovers 8 4 Killeagh 2 2
June 22nd at Cobh Junction Bride Rovers 4 3 Cobh 5 1
Cobh won by a point but were thrown out of the Championship for playing an illegal player)
November 23rd at Midleton (East Cork Final) Bride Rovers 5 2 Leeside 0 1.
1931;
April 12th at Carrigtwohill Bride Rovers 5 1 Ballinacurra 3 3.
May 24th at Cloyne Bride Rovers 3 1 Ballymacoda 3 0.
August 30 th at Killeagh Bride Rovers 9 2 Midleton 4 2
September at the Cork Athletic Grounds County JHC Passage 6 1 Bride Rovers 2 0
At Midleton East Cork Final Aghada 3 2 Bride Rovers 1 4.
1932.
March 27th in Carrigtwohill Bride Rovers 2 3 Gortrue 1 1
June 12th at Carrigtwohill Bride Rovers 1 3 Ballinacurra 1 0
August 14th at Midleton Bride Rovers 6 5 Carrigtwohill 2 2.
August 28th at Midleton East Cork Final Bride Rovers 4 6 leeside 2 3
October 16th at Mallow, Co JHC Bride Rovers 0 0 Liscarroll 1 2.
Not to score at all in a County Championship game was a big let down after a few great seasons. It didn't deter the new Club however. In that year of 1932 the East Cork and County Minor Hurling Championship titles were captured. An application was made later in the autumn to the Cork County Board seeking permission for Bride Rovers to compete in the Intermediate Grade in 1933. The application was accepted and so for the next 5 years Bride Rovers took part in the County IHC.
When the Junior team were beaten in the County JHC by Passage in 1931 the Passage goalkeeper was a Jack O Shea. Born in County Kildare Jack took to the roads and worked here and there all over the country. He was in the Passage area in 1931. He spent a few years in Kilkenny and hurled there -he told me many years later that 'he was the best goalie Kilkenny never had' ! In the 1960's and 70's Jack often stayed for a night or two in different houses in the Bartlemy and Rathcormac areas. He died as a result of a road accident in the early 1980's.
The Canavan Cup -that never was!
In 1929 Mr Denis Canavan of Riverstown offered to put up a trophy 'The Canavan Cup' for a two-game home and away hurling tournament between Bride Rovers and Brooklodge. The first game was played in Riverstown on August 18th with Brooklodge winning by 5 0 to 3 1. On the Rovers team that day were Matt Walsh -father of future Club Player and Secretary, Tony and Johnny Fitzgerald of Fort Richard. The following Sunday in Bartlemy the Rovers won 4 6 to 3 2. With a win each a 'play off Final' was agreed upon but left over until the 1930 season. At Glenville on Sunday April 30th 1930 the Canavan Cup decider was played with the Rovers winning by 4 5 to 1 2. Unfortunately no Cup ever turned up so for evermore it was called "the Mythical Canavan Cup'! A set of medals was presented alright. When an 'official' team picture was taken in early 1932 a cup won by the local Coursing Club 'stood in' for the Canavan Cup. At that stage there was no official trophy for the winners of the East Cork JHC.
Ned Daly's Notebook.
Ned Daly of Quarter Lane was a hurler, footballer, cyclist, athlete, referee, carpenter and hurley- maker. Luckily for us he was also a 'hoarder'. He was a mighty man for keeping notes. In one little notebook he recorded details of every game, 86 in total, played by Bride Rovers from March of 1929 until July of 1938.
BRIDE ROVERS CLUB SPONSORS are; Rathcormac Tyres
